Not Blood, But Love
by missmex100
Summary: A century after Silas was defeated, Stefan, Damon and Caroline return to Mystic Falls. As a family, this time. What they don't expect to see is both Elena and Katherine, side by side. "It's not blood that makes a family, it's love." Post season 4. Klaroline, Steferine, Delena. Damon/Stefan/Caroline & Katherine/Elena family bond. Contains non-sexual spanking. Don't like, don't read.
1. No Place Like The Falls

**Summary:** Everyone left Mystic Falls after season 4. Jeremy didn't come back to life, Bonnie still died. Elena and Damon didn't get together, Katherine didn't turn human. Hayley still got pregnant with Klaus' baby, they went to New Orleans, and he never hooked up with Caroline or came back for her graduation. Silas killed Caroline's mom and Bonnie's dad but didn't show himself to Stefan, instead, everyone thinks he's dead. Tyler left Mystic Falls alone, Matt lived his life normally. Damon and Stefan took Caroline in. Elena left because she had to deal with her family being dead, and Katherine went away as usual. And a hundred years later, Stefan, Damon, and Caroline return to Mystic Falls. **  
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 **Disclaimer:** I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

* * *

 **No Place Like The Falls**

Damon parked his Chevy Blue Camaro in front of the house he and his siblings had been living for the last couple of years. It was a beautiful neighborhood in Atlanta, that Caroline so carefully selected, of course. But in his opinion, nothing could be like their next destination. It was a place that really felt like home. And they wanted a home. That's why they decided to go back to Mystic Falls. Of course, Caroline was in charge of packing everything. She was organizing everything carefully like she always did when they were moving. Damon half-expected to see the house in ruins and Stefan buried in a pile of Caroline's clothes. But when he opened the door, he saw everything packed in suitcases and boxes, while Stefan and Caroline sat on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder, his hand stroking her hair, while some old sitcom was on TV.

"Hey, you two." walking over to them with a smile on his face, he kissed Caroline's forehead and ruffled Stefan's hair, and then he just sat with them for a while, with Caroline cuddled into his chest.

He didn't even know how it happened, but it did. He still missed Elena, but he understood that she needed her space, to take control of her life again. Of course, he wanted to see her again. Maybe one day. Somehow, Damon just started to see the sweet and bubbly Caroline as his little sister. And for the first time in a long time, there was no one to come in between him and his brother. And it felt good, really good, to be a big brother again.

Something that Damon would never understand was Stefan and Caroline's undying wish to attend high school. Every. Single. Time. They never got bored of it. The two usually posed as fraternal twins. It wasn't that hard to believe, with their hair only being a few shades different, and Caroline's blue-green eyes being a mixture of Damon's blue and Stefan's green. So they became the Salvatores. Stefan and Care were both a handful for Damon, so of course, there were problems here and there, but just seeing them both on the couch, peaceful and just enjoying each other's company, made it all worth it. But Damon realized a long time ago that he had to keep them in line somehow. Stefan wasn't much of a problem, being the more mature one out of the two, but Caroline, on the other hand... She found her way over Damon's knee quite often, but it soon became normal for all of them.

After a while, they got up from the couch and put all their stuff in Damon's car. Stefan and Caroline's cars were already transferred to Mystic Falls. Damon quickly packed up a few blood bags. Over the past century, he and Caroline have helped Stefan to gain control over his bloodlust, and he was finally able to drink human blood. There were still some ups and downs, that's why Damon made sure to keep a close eye on his baby brother. And finally, the Salvatore began their journey with Damon driving, Stefan in the passenger seat and Caroline in the backseat.

Damon noticed Caroline's unusual silence. "You okay there?"

"Yeah, fine, just... You know." the blonde sighed. "It's weird."

"She's right." Stefan said. "Being back there..."

"Hey, you two came up with this brilliant idea. No backing out now. We're gonna be okay, you guys."

"I hope so." Caroline showed her smile as she stared out the window.

The world hadn't changed that much. New fashion, sure. These days, Caroline mostly wore her cute dresses and skirts, her blonde curls falling down her back. Damon was still able to walk in his black leather jacket, and Stefan still kept his hero hair on. It took all three of them a while to get over Mystic Falls. Caroline cried for months over Bonnie and her mom dying, and over Tyler. He was still very much "alive", but he still left her. It was hard for Damon and Stefan to get over Elena, but at least they defeated Silas. And if nothing, they had each other. That was more important than anything.

After the long hours of driving, and a few stops here and there, they finally arrived in their long lost home. Because of Caroline's pleads and squeals, Damon parked on Main Street and Caroline jumped out of the car. She just wanted a moment to make sure it was all real. It seemed like nothing really even changed. The clock tower was still there, the Grill was still there and she could see the high school in the distance. And yet, a part of her felt like she was in a strange land she's never seen before.

"Easy there, Care." Stefan laughed, as he finally let out the breath he'd been holding. A voice in his head was saying 'Home, at last" and then there was another voice shouting 'What the hell are you doing here?' and he couldn't help but agree with both of them.

"Okay, since your sister interrupted my impeccable driving, let's just go get something to eat." Damon shook his head at Caroline and gently took her hand so she would move. "God, this one would admire a trash can if it came from Mystic Falls."

"Hi, there!" Damon casually greeted the brunette busgirl. "I'll have some bourbon. And just fries for these two."

"Very well, and drinks for you two?" the girl, who couldn't have been older than 17, asked.

"Just water." Stefan and Caroline replied. When the girl walked away, Caroline turned to Damon, annoyed. "Why can't we drink bourbon? I'm 119 years old!"

"I don't care if you're 2345 years old, you're still 17. And besides, we have a wine cellar full of bourbon at home, you can drink to death." Damon smirked at the blonde.

To Caroline's surprise, the word 'home', felt natural to her. Maybe she could get used to this. The busgirl came back with their orders.

"Here you go, enjoy!" she smiled brightly. Both Caroline and Stefan felt like they've seen her before. They shared a look, but neither of them could figure it out. "You new in town?"

"Yeah, I guess." Stefan said slowly.

Damon smiled at the girl. "We're originally from here, but moved away a long time ago."

"Oh, well. I'm Ella. Ella Donovan." she smiled.

"Well of course you are." Damon muttered to himself but then looked back at Ella. "I'm Damon. Damon Salvatore. These are my brother and sister, Stefan and Caroline."

"You in high school?" she asked them both.

"Yeah."

"Then I'll see you around." Ella smiled and walked away.

"Oh. My. God. Seriously? That was Matt Donovan's grand-grand-something?! He had kids? With who? I mean that's the only explanation, unless Kelly Donovan had a late affair. Gross. Ugh." Caroline rambled.

"And she's a busgirl. Is that the family business now or something?" Damon exclaimed.

"Talk about a reminder of the past," Stefan said incredulously. "Well, I, for one, hope we won't get any more of those today."

"Eat your fries. I wanna see if our house is still intact." Damon said as he took a handful of Care's fries. She slapped his hands away. "Hey! Get your own!" Stefan had to smile at that. The past century with his family was truly the life he always wanted. He just hoped being back home wouldn't change anything.

After a bit more family talk and stolen fries, they paid for the food and got themselves back into the car. While Damon and Caroline argued about who would drive, Stefan just hopped into the driver's seat. At last, they managed to get themselves 'home'.

"Home sweet home." Damon said sarcastically, opening the door and walking in, Stefan and Caroline trailing behind him.

"Everything's just like we left it." Stefan commented.

"Except for the dust." Caroline coughed.

"We'll get that sorted out," Damon said. "Let's just unpack first and get settled in.

After the boxes were carried in, Caroline looked at her older brother. "Damon?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Would it be okay if I went for a walk? Just for a while, please?"

There were times when Damon would ask her where she was going and what she was going to do, but considering she just came back to the place where she was born, her childhood home, this was not one of those times. "Sure, just be back for dinner."

"Okay." she smiled and walked out of the door, leaving the two brothers alone.

Caroline carefully examined everything. Sure, things looked different, how could they not? It's been a hundred years. God, Caroline didn't know how Klaus managed a thousand years on this Earth. The last time she had seen him, he was leaving for New Orleans, but he never told her why. She had thought about going there more than once (or like a billion times), but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Besides, Damon would kill her. And ground her for months as well. Caroline stopped as she passed the high school. No one was there because school started tomorrow. She remembered walking down this road with Bonnie and Elena, she remembered preparing for school dances in that schoolyard and fighting with Rebekah about the decorations, she remembered yelling at the boys while they were carrying equipment, she remembered sitting with Stefan at lunch, and having cheer practices, and making out with Ty... Tyler. God, she hadn't thought about him in a while. 'How did we get here?' she would ask herself. 'All these people I loved so much, and I don't even know where they ended up.' Well, at least she had her little family. Caroline didn't even notice she had stumbled into Elena's neighborhood. She saw the old, burned down remains of what was once the Gilbert Home. No one bothered to fix it. Why would they? There were no Gilberts left, and Matt probably felt like this was what Elena would've wanted. And maybe it was, who knows?

She was on the verge of crying. Gilbert House, burnt down by Elena. Lockwood Mansion, abandoned by Tyler. Bennett House, probably abandoned after Bonnie died. And.. Her house. The house her mom died in after Silas attacked her. Caroline was the one who abandoned her home. But didn't she have the right to do so? Thank God Stefan and Damon stopped her from turning it off. She slowly walked up to the porch. The porch where she and Tyler had their first kiss on. Her shaky hand touched the doorknob and she walked in. This was the house in which she grew up. She broke her leg when she fell down those stairs. She remembered having girl nights with Bonnie and Elena there, she remembered having long talks with Stefan on her couch, and... This was where she found her mom. On the floor, dead. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She spent a couple minutes in her bedroom, looking at old pictures, thinking 'Damn my hair was awesome back then' until she realized she had a missed call from Damon. She stood up quickly and realized she was half an hour late. She raced out of her house and down the street, while quickly texting Damon. 'I'll be home in 10, I'm really sorry, please don't be mad!'

Damon sighed and took a sip of his bourbon as the blonde entered the house. "Hey, sorry, I lost track of time."

"That's okay. Want some dinner?" Damon understood. This had to be hard for her. He knew her, and he knew she probably spent the past hour crying for Liz, Bonnie, Tyler, and Elena.

"No, thanks. I'm not that hungry."

Damon filled a glass with bourbon and handed it to her. "Here, I know you've been waiting for it."

"Well it's not my fault your bourbon is the best." she almost moaned at the taste.

"Guys, check this out. There's a homecoming dance this Saturday." Stefan said entering the living room.

"Really? Well, it's not like they can do decade dances anymore. Not even school dances are what they used to be." Caroline rambled. "Oh, that calls for a shopping trip."

It was no secret Care got lonely from time to time. Bonnie was dead, Elena was gone. There were some things she couldn't talk to Stefan and Damon about. She missed her friends. Sure, she made friends in every school she and Stefan went to. They were both pretty likable. But it just wasn't the same. It wasn't really a problem for Caroline to move from place to place and leave her friends behind. There were some good ones, like Becca, or Chelsea, or Alexis... What was weird was that they haven't come across many vampires. Maybe not every vampire appreciated high school and small towns like they did. But it wasn't like they only went to small towns. Caroline remembered having the time of her life in Paris, New York, Madrid, Rio... With Damon and drunk Stefan. Drunk Stefan was the best. Well, at least Klaus couldn't make comments about her not seeing the world anymore.

"Okay you two, get to bed. You have a big day tomorrow. Don't wanna miss your first day at school, do you?" Damon got up and went upstairs, his siblings following him.

Damon and Stefan went to their usual rooms, the ones they were staying in years ago. Both of them were overwhelmed with the memories of Elena. Caroline just picked a room that was close to their bedrooms and decided to make it hers, as always. For now, she just changed into pajamas and threw herself on the bed. It was a hard, hard day for her. Maybe, tomorrow would be better. If not, she would just have to steal Damon's bourbon.

Damon and Caroline had gone to sleep, but Stefan couldn't. Instead, he stared at the pictures in his bedroom. Pictures of him and Elena, him and Caroline, him and Lexi... Was it really possible that all this time had passed since he met Katherine? Since he became a vampire, promised an eternity of misery by his brother? Since he bumped into Elena in the hallway at school, fell in love with her and since the relationship, as epic as it was, ended? Since he reunited with Damon? More than 200 years on this Earth. But it was different now. He wasn't alone. He had his brother and his _sister_. And he would always love Elena. Just not like he used to.

Stefan sighed. The past century felt like a dream. Way too good to be true. But now they were back. Would things change? Would the past keep haunting him? Okay, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Did he love Mystic Falls? Well, 100 years ago he loved the people in it. But they were either dead, or gone, or in this house with him.

Or at least that's what he thought...


	2. We Have History Together

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Vampire Diaries. If I did... God forbid.

Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and of course thank you for all the love!

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 **We Have History Together**

"Care, come on, we're gonna be late!" Stefan yelled from downstairs. Caroline ran down 5 minutes later, wearing a white cut out shoulder top, a black skirt and knee-high brown leather boots. Her long hair was in loose waves. She smiled brightly at Damon. "Oh, don't you look great this morning? Much less d-deadly than usual..." she stuttered with her words, seeing as he actually did look deadly, like usual. Or maybe it was the black leather jacket playing tricks on her again.

Damon rolled his eyes. "What do you want?"

"Well, I could compel the saleswoman at the mall, or I could shoplift... Or you could just give me some money."

"Ugh, fine." he snorted at her, reaching into his pocket. "But don't spend it _all_."

"Thank you! We should get going. You ready, Stef?" Caroline said, grabbing a blood bag and turning to the other brother. "Oh, stop sulking. It's gonna be fine."

"Right, let's go back to the start. Literally." Stefan laughed bitterly while his bubbly sister ushered him to the front door. "Yay."

"See ya, Damon!" Caroline yelled from the door.

"You! Be a good girl today!" pointing at Caroline, Damon warned, and then pointed at Stefan. "And you! Stop brooding already!"

As soon as the kids were out, Damon grabbed a glass of bourbon. "Two eternal teenagers. Damn right I am taking care of the kids." It was no surprise that Damon was annoyed with his siblings. He was always annoyed with them, and everyone else, at that matter. But their return to the great town of Mystic Falls was making him nervous. It was easy to stay somewhere else. Anywhere else, really. The three of them enjoyed seeing to world together. But things were different here. And this town got on Damon's nerves. In the first century of his life, he hated small towns for one reason only: There was nothing for him to do, small towns were boring. But now, in the second century of his life, he hated small towns for the exact opposite reason: Too many bad things happened here. If they started happening again, and Stefan or Caroline got hurt...

Or maybe he started feeling this way because of her. Elena. Maybe he started missing her more than ever because of this stupid town. But he knew he couldn't think about Elena like that anymore. He changed a lot during their separation, and she did too, he was sure. But Caroline wanted to come back, so they did. For her. Because he decided a long time ago to put Care and Stefan first. And that's what he did. And it made him really happy. Not because he had to do it, but because he _wanted_ to. And seeing the blonde's bright smile this morning made it all worth it.

Stefan shut the door of the red car and looked at Caroline. "You do realize that right now, were just two new students, nothing more, right?"

"That's not true!" Caroline protested. "We saved this town, over and over again! These _children_ should be thanking us because they were only even born because we saved this damn town!"

"But they don't know that, Care," he said softly as the walked up to their old/new school. "And did you just call them children? Yeah, cause you didn't sound a thousand there." he laughed.

Caroline slapped his arm playfully. "Shut up." their laughs silenced when the walked over to the office. A middle-aged woman was sitting behind her desk and looked up at them.

"Hi, were new here." Caroline smiled.

"Names?" the woman pushed up her glasses.

"Stefan and Caroline Salvatore."

"You're related?"

"Twins." Stefan replied.

"Your files, please?" at the woman's request, Stefan handed her both his and Caroline's file. They both used Caroline's birth date, just with a different year, and Damon was listed as their guardian.

"Alright, here are your schedules," she said and sent them both to their lockers. "Welcome to Mystic Falls High."

"Well, the staff is still dull as hell." Caroline muttered and Stefan chuckled. Their lockers, thankfully, happened to be close to each other. They could feel eyes on them. The guys were all looking at Caroline. The girls were all clearly smitten with Stefan, much like Caroline was when she first met him. She couldn't blame them, though. He still looked good in a leather jacket. If this had happened while Caroline was still human, she would've _loved_ the attention. But now, she _loathed_ it. Every time, every new school, everyone would stare. Look at her like she was something to eat. This was _her_ home. But of course, after a hundred years, all the pictures of her, Elena, Bonnie, and the entire cheerleading squad were gone. Pictures of the football team, Tyler, Stefan and Matt, were gone. All gone. Suddenly, she felt a comforting hand squeeze her shoulder.

"You're okay." Stefan whispered.

"They're all staring. Why do they always have to be staring?!" Caroline hit the locker in annoyance.

He shushed her softly. "Shh. It's okay." but Caroline couldn't help but panic. She had those sometimes. Panic attacks. Stefan and Damon knew, and they always helped her through it. She took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Let's just forget about this, alright? What's your first period?" she asked and Stefan looked at his schedule. He stared at it for such a long time, Caroline wondered if he was okay.

"History." his voice was so quiet, that if Caroline wasn't a vampire, she wouldn't be able to hear him.

She sighed. "Oh, right. You and Elena... And I'm not making this any easier, am I?"

"I'm over it, Care. What do you have first?" he was changing the subject, and Caroline knew it. First of all, she invented that. Second of all, he couldn't hide anything from her.

"English. Wow, we barely have any classes together. Great." after Caroline finished complaining about her messed up schedule, the bell rang. "Okay, I gotta go. See you at lunch."

"Yeah, I'll see you." Stefan said and made his way to the history classroom. The exact same one from over a hundred years ago. "Seriously, they couldn't even change classrooms? God.. That's it. Nothing can surprise me anymore." he walked into the room and had a sight to see. The one person he never thought he'd see again, sitting there. "Oh my God..." she said. He looked at her and sat down. "Boy, was I wrong..."

Ella Donovan noticed the silent exchange and shook her friend's arm. "Elena? Elena, what's wrong? Do you know this guy?" she whispered. She remembered him for yesterday, but didn't understand why Elena was so upset. Elena, still shocked, just whispered the first thing she could think of. "We have history together." Stefan took a good look at the girl that was squirming in her seat, clearly shocked to see him. Her straight, brown hair seemed a bit shorter. She was wearing jeans and a white lace top. Much Elena-like. And yet he felt like it was a stranger sitting in the seat next to his.

"Alright, everybody! Welcome to Junior year! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Mr Warren, and I'm your history teacher. Now can anyone tell me when the Battle of Willow Creek happened? Anyone?" when the class remained quiet, Stefan rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything. "Miss Donovan? Nothing?"

"September 25, 1864." Stefan and Elena said together.

Mr Warren looked pleased. "Thank you, Elena, and Mr.."

"Salvatore. Stefan Salvatore."

"Salvatore, huh? I was told that the founding families of Mystic Falls died off. Except the Fells, that is."

"We, ah, we moved away long ago."

"Oh, well, keep up the good work." Mr Warren said and the class carried on, with Stefan and Elena glancing at each other every once in a while, without the other noticing. 'Talk about déjà-vu.' Stefan thought to himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Caroline was in her English class, and it was going pretty well. She just hoped Stefan was okay. The teacher, Miss Monroe, seemed nice. She was explaining some crap that Caroline had learned a long time, so she was just doodling away in her notebook. But then something Miss Monroe said caught her attention. "Alright, class. I wanna see how you guys do in pairs. Choose a book, and write about it. Whatever book you want. Connect over it. So were gonna go: Miss Nolan and Mr Keller, Mr Miller and Mr Jensen..." and the teacher kept saying random names that Caroline had never heard before and quite frankly didn't care about, until the teacher finally said her name. "Miss Salvatore and..." oh, well. She wasn't the best at making friends, but she promised herself she'd make an effort. Until she heard the other name, though. "Miss Pierce."

And good thing Caroline's heart was technically dead ever since the little hospital visit she got from the aforementioned Pierce, otherwise she would've had a heart attack on the spot. Could it really be happening? The worst thing in the world. And it had to happen to her.

The teacher was finishing up when the bell rang. "And that would be it. You have until next week! See you tomorrow!" Caroline stood up, picked up her stuff and turned around. It was really her. Katherine Pierce, in all her glory, getting up from a high school seat. What kind of horror movie did Caroline stumble into? Katherine in high school... Care wasn't sure whether she should laugh or cry. She dragged herself back into the hall, Katherine following behind her, a smirk on her face. "What's wrong, Miss Salvatore? Surprised to see me?"

Caroline turned around and finally faced her biggest nightmare. "Katherine."

"Miss me?" Katherine laughed, flipping her hair.

"No, not in the least." Caroline shook her head, not amused at all. "What are you doing here?"

"What, I can't educate myself?" Katherine said, pretending to be innocent, but Care didn't buy it. "I always wondered what Stefan found so special about high school. Not that special, really. Now, what might you, blondie, be doing in this humble little town?"

"I'm... Uh.." the blonde stuttered. "I'm visiting my home! Is that a crime or something? What are you, the vamp police?"

"Okay, don't freak, Care Bear."

"Don't call me that." Caroline sneered. Only two people called her that. Only two people.

Caroline started walking to her locker, and Katherine followed her. Caroline heard a bunch of "Hey, Katherine's" along the way. "What are you, the Queen Bee?" she questioned.

"Well, yeah, Princes Obvious. What did you expect? And oh, what's with the stolen last name? We both know you're not a Salvatore, Forbes." the older vampire retorted, eyeing Caroline suspiciously. She didn't understand the situation whatsoever. The former human that Stefan barely looked at because he was to enamored with Elena, and Damon only used as a toy to entertain himself, was now calling herself a Salvatore.

"Actually," Caroline shut her locker after taking the books for the next class. "I am." she said confidently. At first, it was weird, calling herself a Salvatore, but she's had many serious and long talks about it with Stefan and Damon, and she truly saw herself as a part of their family now.

"Ha, don't tell me you married little Steffy." Katherine laughed and then put a hand over her heart. "Don't tell me you married Damon!"

"No, of course not!" Caroline shuddered. "We're just, you know, really close. And not in that way! Ew!"

"Wait, you are? That means they're here. Both of them?"

Caroline looked at her frenemy with wide eyes. "Katherine, no! No, no, no, no! You stay away, demon spawn!"

"Wait," Katherine just gaped at her, smirking slightly. "Is he here? Is Stefan here? _Here_ here?"

"Yes, he's here! But that doesn't mean you'll be going anywhere near him!"

"Oh come on, Blondie, I have to at least say hello." Katherine replied with lust present in both her voice and her eyes, showing that she clearly wanted more than to just say 'hello'.

"Not if I can help it." Caroline muttered under her breath. "Look, Katherine, I gotta get to class. Just back off, okay? Stay away from us."

"And how do you suggest we get that project done, then?" the brunette teased. Caroline groaned. Suddenly, some girls were heard from across the hall. "Kat, come on, we've got cheer practice!"

Katherine smirked at the blonde. "Come by practice sometime, we're holding auditions. And before I forget, I'm having a party tonight, you should come. Bring the brothers. See ya later, Salvatore."

Caroline rolled her eyes. She watched her lifelong nemesis and killer walk away. Katherine's long curls swayed a bit as she strolled down the hall. She still had her signature style, of course. She was wearing a red dress, along with a black denim jacket. Some people observed her as she roamed the halls in her black heels. Caroline knew exactly what that was. Girls wanted to be her, guys wanted to do her. But they didn't know who and what she really was. Nothing good ever came out of partying with Katherine. But, when she thought about it, it was a great way for her to meet now people and find out what Katherine was really up to. She wouldn't bring the brothers, though. With that thought, she took her phone and dialed Damon as she made her way to her next period.

"Shouldn't you be at school?" Damon questioned.

"I am! I just have to ask you something. See, there's this party tonight and-"

"No." he interrupted her immediately.

"But you didn't even let me finish!" Caroline protested.

"I didn't need to," he said calmly. "My answer's no."

"But why?" she whined.

"Because I said so. And when I say no..."

"But, Damon!" she whined. It was times like these that she truly reminded Damon of a child. Caroline could actually see Damon rolling his eyes while drinking his bourbon. "Caroline Elizabeth Salvatore, when I say no?"

Caroline sighed. "It means no."

"Exactly. Now, we can continue arguing about this, but that will only result in you having a very sore little bottom." warned Damon.

The girl decided it was best to just give up. Not that she was actually giving up. "Fine, but I can still go shopping, right?"

"Sure, but be back by six, okay? Now go to class." he said sternly.

"Okay, bye." she hung up and continued walking. She managed to sit through the next few classes and decided to just skip lunch. Texting Stefan quickly, Caroline sat in a stall in the girls' bathroom.

"I have to go to that party." she whispered to herself. "But Damon's not gonna change his mind. He's never gonna let me go. Unless..." she buried her face in her hands. "I sneak out."

She knew very well what would happen if Damon found out. Of course he would find out, he always did. But she didn't want to think about that. Instead she thought about Katherine. She thought about the dislike, and a spark of pure hate, that she felt for that woman. Katherine didn't deserve any of this. She didn't deserve everything that was supposed to be Caroline's. And it wasn't like Care wanted to feel that way, she just did. And if disobeying Damon meant finding answers about Katherine's plans, then so be it.

* * *

"Stefan!" Elena whisper-yelled when the last bell rang. She spotted him walking out of math. "Stefan, wait up!"

Stefan sighed and turned around. "Elena."

"What are you... What are you doing here?" she asked him, a half-smile on her face.

"I don't know, I wanted to come home. The real question is, what are _you_ doing here? A century ago, you told me you _never_ wanted to come home again."

"I know what I said," she told him seriously. "But I missed this place. So I moved here about two years ago. I'm happy here, Stefan. And I'm... I'm happy that you're here. It's good to see you."

Stefan smiled slightly. "It's good to see you too, Elena."

"So, uh, I meant to ask you-"

"Yes, Damon's here too." he smirked at her. Of course Stefan still loved Elena, but to say that he was still in love with her... Well it wouldn't be true. But he knew Damon loved her still. Even after all the time they spent apart. "Drinking bourbon somewhere, probably."

Elena let out a little sound that Stefan was pretty sure was a giggle. "Well, I've missed him. And Caroline too, and, well, everyone."

Stefan smiled a bit. Elena and Caroline had their differences, especially after Elena became a vampire, but they still loved each other, and Stefan could just picture the look on Caroline's face. His phone buzzed suddenly. It was a text from Caroline. 'I'm outside. You coming?'

"I, uh, I gotta go," he told Elena. Messing with Caroline's punctuality was a death wish, especially when it came to shopping. "But I'll see you later?"

The brunette smiled. "Yeah. Hey, I'm having a party later, wanna come?"

"I'll get back to you on that one. The parties still held in the same place?"

"Well, of course! Nothing like a back-to-school party at the Falls."

He laughed. "You got that one right. See you later." he said and hurried out of the building to where Caroline was waiting.

"You're lat-" Caroline looked at him strangely when he arrived.

"What?" he asked her. Did he have paint on his face or something?"

"You've got _that_ look." she exclaimed.

"What look?" he shook his head. "My worried vampire look again?"

"No, that's your regular face," Caroline told him like he was an idiot. "I meant your happy look!"

"I am happy, Care. I'm happy to be here, at home. You, however, have got _your_ worried vampire look _._ What's going on? _"_

"Nothing, really!." she tried to convince him. She didn't want to tell him about Katherine, not at the moment. "I'm just still a bit nervous." Caroline was truly surprised at how much things had changed since earlier that same day. She had been so excited to go to school, and Stefan had his worried vampire look on. Now it seemed like the roles were suddenly reversed. And as happy as she was for Stefan, she wished she just forget about Katherine.

"Everything's gonna be okay. Trust me." Stefan kissed the top of her head. "And take the car, go to the mall. I'll walk home. Love you."

"Love you too." she whispered. He let go of her and started walking towards the house, while she got in the car and drove off to the mall. "And I sure do hope you're right." She spent a couple hours at the mall, trying on cute clothes and doing what teenagers should be doing. Not fighting evil witches, original vampires and God knows what else not. She was trying on some heels when she heard a voice. "Hey, Caroline! It's Caroline, right?"

Caroline smiled as she saw the familiar dirty blonde girl approach her. "Oh, hey! Ella, was it?"

"Yeah." Ella smiled. "Wow, those look really good on you!"

"Thanks! You here alone, or?"

"Actually, I came here with my friend Katherine, but she won't come out of Victoria's secret, so.."

Caroline snorted quietly. Such a Katherine Pierce thing to do. "Yeah, yeah, I know her. We're doing the English project together."

"Oh, so did she invite you to her party?" Ella asked.

Caroline nodded. "Yeah, but-"

"Great! We could go together if you'd like. I could show you around and everything." Ella smiled. How could you say no to that, though? There was this girl, trying to make friends. Caroline hadn't seen lots of truly, genuinely nice people during her days at Mystic High. God knows she herself could be such a bitch from time to time. "Um..." she thought about it for a second. So what, staying for a few hours.. What could happen?

"Sure." her own smile mirrored Ella's shy one. "I'd love to."

* * *

Stefan entered the Boarding House. He felt bad for not telling Caroline about Elena, but he thought it would be better if she found out on her own. "Damon, you here?"

"Yeah," Damon said, coming to the living room. "How was school?"

"Good, good." Stefan said. "And there's a party tonight so I thought-"

"Oh for the love of... What is it with you people and those goddamn parties? You can't go, end of story!" Damon yelled and poured himself a bourbon. 'Big surprise there' Stefan thought. "Uh, why?"

"Because you can't!"

Stefan shook his head. "I know you. You don't care about these things. You always let us go to parties. What changed?"

Damon sighed. "Hunters, Stefan. Hunters. I got a call from one of my allies. They're close to Mystic Falls. It's a party, Stefan. The perfect bait. Where else would they attack?"

"Well, that's not a good thing." Stefan said, his eyes a bit widened.

"Why?" Damon asked before a look of realization hit him. He stood up. "Stefan, if you're telling me that that sister of yours-"

Stefan interrupted him. "No, it's not about Caroline." he took a deep breath. "It's about Elena."

Damon stared him. "Elena? _Our Elena_?"

'She's not ours anymore.' Stefan wanted to say. 'Not mine, not yours.' But there was no way that Elena would get between him and his brother again. They were different now. They didn't want to lose each other, or Caroline. They didn't want anyone or anything to break them. Elena was different too, Stefan could feel it, even though they've only talked to each other for a few minutes. He had let her go a long time ago and he had no intention of ever being holding onto her again. Elena Gilbert was his epic love, his epic soulmate, and his epic heartbreak all at once. Maybe someday she could be his epic friend.

But there was no way he could think about that now, not when Elena was in danger. Not when, knowing his mischievous sister, Caroline was possibly in danger as well.

"Yes, she's here." Stefan took a deep breath as Damon stared at him. Neither of them could read each other very well at that moment. "I saw her in... In history. She's the one that's hosting that party, Damon."

And with that sentence being said, they both sprinted out of the door, their vampire speed leaving a cold breeze in the room, windows cluttering and the bourbon sputtering out of Damon's half-empty glass as they went to save the girl they once loved and, unbeknownst to them both, their little troublemaker of a sister, as well as the other woman that one of them loved too much, and the other one didn't love enough.

* * *

So far, Caroline was enjoying the party. It wasn't bad, but surely she could've done it better. Hell, she had done it better. Yeah, it may have been a hundred years ago, but still.

"Enjoying the party, Care Bear?" Katherine mocked and gave her a beer. "Here. Do yourself a favor and get drunk. We both know you're better when you're drunk."

Caroline opened the beer with her teeth and then spilled it all on the ground, next to where some guy was sleeping. Or was passed out. She hoped he was sleeping. "As if I'm gonna drink something you gave me."

Katherine was about to say something when someone appeared behind Caroline. "Hey, Kat, can you give me a hand with this?" Caroline turned around immediately. "Elena?!"

Elena stood there, staring at her long lost best friend. She almost dropped the package of food and drinks she was carrying. "Car-Caroline?"

"W-What are you doing here?" the blonde asked as Katherine walked over to Elena and took the box she was holding. "I'll take these, you two catch up."

"You're here." Elena smiled and went to hug Caroline. "I am so happy to see yo-" she was interrupted by Caroline pushing her hands away. "You're here with _her_? I don't understand. What could you possibly be doing here with that... That... That she-devil?!"

"Care, it's not like that. She's not like that anymore." Elena knew it was a long shot, but she had to try and convince Caroline of the truth.

"Oh, really? Was she not like that anymore when she and I had a very bitchy little chat this morning? Or when she told me very clearly that she was still interested in both Stefan and Damon? God, Elena!" Care couldn't believe it. Elena trusted Katherine? In what world was it okay to trust Katherine?

"Wait, Stefan and Damon? You know that they're here too?" the confused brunette questioned.

"Well of course I do, I mean I came here with them!" Caroline snapped.

"You what?" Elena raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean you came here with them?"

"Well, just because you abandoned us doesn't mean we abandoned each other. In fact, they're my family. And FYI, it's not Forbes anymore. It's Salvatore." and before Elena could answer her, Caroline realized something. "Wait, how do you know they're here?"

"I saw Stefan in... In history." Elena said.

Caroline was overwhelmed by everything that happened. And the night wasn't even over yet. "So Stefan knew, and he didn't tell me?" she whispered more to herself than to Elena. Before Elena could say something else, two gunshots were heard. People started running everywhere. Katherine joined the girls. "What the hell was that?"

"We don't know!" Elena replied for both herself and Caroline. She had to raise her voice because the screams of the party people were getting louder and louder. The girls started running in the direction of the gunshots. They were shocked by what they found. It was a girl that Caroline had never seen before, a pretty brunette. There was a wooden bullet in her heart, and veins were now on her grey face.

"Oh my god, Elena." Katherine gasped. "It's Jessica."

"Who?" Caroline asked.

"A girl from school. But we didn't know she was a vampire." Elena replied.

"Couldn't you smell her?" the blonde questioned. Katherine shrugged. "She smelled human."

"Wooden bullets," Caroline mumbled. "Hunters?"

"Could be." Katherine said.

"Elena. K-Katherine. Ca-Caroline.." all three of them turned around and saw Ella with a wooden bullet in her abdomen.

"Ella!" the three girls screamed. Katherine, as the fastest of the three, caught her.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here." two men approached them. "Three more monsters. _She_ will be very pleased with us.

"No, wait-" Elena tried to stop them but there were already three bullets inside Caroline. Before the men could fire anymore, they were both thrown on the ground hard enough to knock them both out, and the Salvatore brothers came out of the shadows.

"Stefan? Damon?" Katherine and Elena said at the same time.

"Elena? _Katherine_?" Damon and Stefan exclaimed simultaneously, as well. That was when they noticed Caroline lying on the ground. The brothers and Elena ran to her. The bullets were close to her heart. Damon noticed the girl in Katherine's arms and the corpse on the ground. He turned to Elena. As much as he wanted to talk to her, his sister came first. "You two take that girl to the hospital and get rid of the other body. We'll take care of Caroline."

Elena nodded and soon she and Katherine were gone with Ella and Jessica. Damon carefully started pulling out the bullets while Stefan held the whimpering Caroline. "It's okay, baby, you're gonna be okay." Damon cooed softly as he pulled the last bullet out. Care breathed heavily as Damon picked her up bridal style. "We need to leave before the police arrives. And you, little girl, are in big, big trouble."


	3. Bonds Once Broken

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

 **Warning:** Includes non-sexual disciplinary spanking.

 **Spoiler alert:** Damon drinks bourbon in this chapter.

* * *

 **Bonds Once Broken  
**

Stefan opened the door of the house, walking in after Damon carried Caroline into the living room and set her on her feet. "Go to your room. Now." he ordered her and Caroline obeyed, not wanting to make him any angrier than he already was.

"Damon, calm down." Stefan told his brother as soon as Caroline was out of reach. She knew better than to listen to their conversations, considering how much trouble she was already in.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down? She could've died, Stefan!"

"Yes, she made a mistake. But, if you had told her about the hunters, she wouldn't have gone to the party." the younger brother pointed out.

Damon sighed. "You're right. But that doesn't change the fact that she disobeyed me, and lied to you about Katherine."

"Well, to be fair, I didn't tell her about Elena either."

"Why didn't you, though?" Damon asked, genuinely curious.

"I just... I thought I'd let it be a surprise. You know, let Care find out on her own. Guess it was a bad idea, huh?" Stefan smiled dryly. Damon moved closer to his brother and put his hands on Stefan's shoulders, gripping them tightly. "I understand, okay? But we always tell each other the truth. No matter what. You were wrong to keep it from her. Just like I was wrong when I lied to her about the hunters. But I get that you were only trying to help. I'll let you and Care work it out later." he patted his little brother's back and made a move for the stairs.

"Damon," Stefan began softly. "She's had a rough night. Don't be too hard on her." all Damon could do was nod. Leaving Stefan in the living room, he made his way to Caroline's bedroom. He didn't have to knock and simply let himself in. He saw her on the bed, hugging her knees and noticed that she had changed out of the bloody clothes into a pair of pajamas.

"Hey," he sat next to her. "You okay? Need a blood bag?"

Caroline shook her head, tears in her eyes. "I'm really sorry."

"First things first. "I need to know if the hunters said anything? Did they mention more of them coming?"

She shook her head. "No, but they did say that _she_ would be very pleased with them."

Damon nodded. "Okay. We'll worry about it later. Now, I understand that you didn't know about the hunters. I should've told you. Our most important rule is that we never lie to each other. Today, I broke that rule as well. And I promise you, that will never happen again. And I get that you were shocked by Katherine's return, but you still needed to tell us about it."

"But Stefan didn't tell me about Elena!" she protested and he shushed her immediately. "I know and it looks like all three of us need to work on our honesty. Now, you know I don't set a lot of rules for you because I trust you. However, even though you didn't know how dangerous it was, you still broke a rule by disobeying me _and_ you put your life in danger. I'm not having that. But I won't be as hard on you as I might have been, considering you got hurt tonight. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." she nodded.

He seemed pleased with the answer. "Alright, then. Let's get this over with. Bring me your hairbrush." Caroline complied and quickly grabbed her thick, flat hairbrush that was almost as wide as her teary eyes. She walked back to Damon and handed him the darn hairbrush she hated with a passion. She fiddled with her daylight ring as she waited for further instructions.

"Pants down." he ordered and she slowly pulled her pajama pants down. In one swift move, he had her over his knee. He started spanking her hard with the wooden brush, and she was crying in no time. She started wriggling soon, trying to get away from her brother's hand. She hadn't been spanked for at least three weeks, and now she wouldn't be able to sit for God knows how long. What was she thinking? It got even worse when he pulled down her panties. Years ago, she would've protested. Hell, she _did_ protest, the first time he did this to her. But now she knew better. She knew how much he loved her, and that he only did this out of love.

"Ow! Please stop, I won't do it again! I'll be good, ow, I'll be good! I promise!" she wailed.

"Do not put your life in danger, Caroline Elizabeth! And do not disobey me! When I say don't do something, you don't do it! Are we clear?" Damon lectured, punctuating every word with a hard swat to her backside.

"Yes, sir! Crystal clear!" Caroline cried out, squirming on his lap.

"Good girl." he praised, continuing to spank her for a few more minutes. By the time he was finished, she was sobbing brokenly, her head buried into one of the pillows on the bed, and her bottom was a dark shade of red. He gently turned her over so that she was sitting on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he rubbed her back.

"I trust this won't happen again?" Damon asked softly.

"Never again." she whispered, her face hidden in the crook of his neck.

"And you've learned your lesson?" he rocked them both back and forth a bit. She just nodded as he caressed her hair. "You do know I only do this because I love you, right?

Caroline mumbled a "Yes, sir" and he kept holding her, making her feel safe. Caroline hated the sting of the spanking that still wasn't going away, but she felt happy, safe and loved. She wasn't really cared for like this during her childhood. Caroline loved her parents, of course, she loved them so much. But even when they were still together, her mom and dad were _always_ at work. She always envied the happy family breakfasts that Elena would have with her parents, Jenna and Jeremy... Then her dad moved away, and she barely ever heard from him. And the one time he came back, he tried to fix her. He acted as if she was broken. Because he hated what she was. Her mom didn't accept her being a vampire at first, but at least she got over it. When Liz died, Caroline was so crushed, so shattered. How could she not be? That was her _mom_. And then she knew how Elena felt. Losing everybody, and then Bonnie dying too... But instead of holding onto her friends, Elena left. Caroline could've easily run away. Like Tyler did. But she didn't. Instead, she stayed with Stefan, her best friend. And even though it took time for her to forgive Damon for everything that he had done to her, she did, eventually. And it felt so good to be a part of a family. All three of them were happy. Which made her think about Elena, who also seemed happy. The Elena she knew would've killed Katherine if she could, but now they were acting like... Like sisters. And that was a scary thought. But a hundred years ago, the idea of Caroline and Damon being brother and sister would've been a scary thought as well. So if the three of them got a second chance at being a family, maybe Katherine and Elena did too. Unless Caroline misunderstood the entire situation. But she hoped she didn't, she hoped Katherine wasn't the enemy and Elena had a shot at happiness. Not that she would trust Katherine right away. She couldn't let herself do that. God knows what Katherine Pierce was really up to.

* * *

"She'll be okay, but we'll keep a close eye on her for a while."

"Thanks, Dr. Fell." Elena smiled weakly. She was sitting in the hospital waiting room, Katherine next to her. The brown-haired female doctor walked away, and the two girls were soon in the company of someone else.

"Katherine? Elena? I need to ask you a couple questions."

The girls turned their heads towards the person who quickly sat next to them. "Sheriff Donovan, we're so sorry about what happened to Ella. It was our party and-" Elena started to apologize.

"And my little sister has a brain of her own. She decided to go to that party. No one forced her. You guys should not have drunk, though." the town sheriff, as well as Ella's 25-year-old brother, Jackson Donovan, said. "I'll look the other way. This time. However, I need to know how you two girls managed to knock out two guys."

"Well, for your information, we're both very familiar with martial arts." Katherine answered with sass, as always.

"And you don't know who they are?" Jackson questioned. Both girls shook their heads. "Do you know what my sister could've been doing in the woods?" the girls shook their heads once again.

"Were you two alone?" they nodded. Well, it wasn't like they could tell him the truth. No one could know that Caroline, Damon, and Stefan were there, too. No one had any proof either. "We heard the gunshots, but we couldn't find Ella so we went looking for her..." Katherine trailed off.

"Alright, well, thank you for your time. I'm gonna go check on El." the man, whose looks were similar to Ella's and reminded both Elena and Katherine of 'Matty Blue Eyes', started walking towards Ella's hospital room. Katherine and Elena sighed simultaneously.

"So... Stefan and Damon are back." Elena stated.

"So is Caroline," Katherine added. "Plus, hunters are in town."

Elena nodded. "And Ella's in the hospital."

"Jessica's dead." Katherine laughed bitterly. "And to think that this town was getting pretty good at being normal."

"You do know that they don't trust you? At least not right now." Elena said. "But things won't change, Kat. Not between us. They'll accept that we're a family now, you'll see. They'll accept you."

"It's not just that they don't trust me, Elena. They hate me. And they have every right to."

Sure, Katherine was still the same sassy, sarcastic woman she'd always been. But she wasn't the stone cold bitch. She knew she hurt a lot of people, but she wanted to make things right. With Damon and Caroline, and with Stefan.

"You're not the same person, Kat-"

"I killed Damon and Stefan, I smothered Caroline with a pillow, I made Jenna stab herself and then Klaus killed her because of me, _I killed your brother_!" Katherine rambled on and on, but Elena's heart stopped at her last words. They echoed in her mind. It was true. Jeremy was dead because of Katherine. The thought took Elena away from the hospital, away from Katherine, and suddenly, she was reliving a moment that happened about half a century ago, more or less.

 _New York, 2055  
_

 _The somewhat young vampire stumbled into a bar. It was the middle of the night, not that New York cared. The city that never slept, alright. The same could've been said for Elena. She barely slept, too focused on her quest. She had left Mystic Falls after the defeat of Silas, and she let Damon, Caroline, Stefan and everyone else believe that she wanted to be on her own because she was grieving Bonnie and Jeremy. But really, the only reason why she left was that she had to be alone for what she was going to do next. Her friends wouldn't have agreed to this. She knew it. Stefan was simply too good at heart, and it wasn't a bad thing. Caroline was just like Stefan, a good person, and a good vampire, even in the darkest places of her heart, she wasn't a killer. And Damon was different. He didn't hesitate to kill. But he'd never let Elena turn herself into a killer. He wouldn't understand. None of them would. She needed to do this. Right or wrong, it was her closure. Or revenge. Maybe it wouldn't make her feel better, maybe it would make her feel worse. Maybe she'd hate herself for doing it. But at least she'd feel something. At least Jeremy's death would be avenged, and the person who had hurt them all in the past wouldn't be able to do it anymore because she wouldn't be breathing._

 _Elena Gilbert was going to kill Katherine Pierce. As simple as that._

 _She wasn't that bothered by the loud music and dancing anymore. The fun part of her came out to play sometimes, but tonight was about so much more than that. And it didn't take long for Elena to spot her prey. There she was, dancing on top of the bar, dressed in some tight black dress and high heels. Well, some things never change. And the old Elena might've hoped that people actually could change. And maybe they could. Damon Salvatore was living proof of that, if he was still alive, though. Elena never really talked to him, but it wasn't like she didn't love him still. She just needed more than that. She needed to see Katherine dead. People did change. But Katherine didn't.  
_

 _Thank God Elena wasn't stupid enough to approach the 500-year-old vampire just like that. She waited until Katherine jumped down. She almost lost her in the crowd, though. The party girl wasn't done yet. Elena caught her feeding on some poor frat boy. Before the older vampire noticed her, she quickly snapped her neck. Not that anyone would notice. They would just think she was passed out. She herself couldn't believe she'd come this far. Almost half a century ago, Katherine was always one step ahead of them all. But now, Elena showed up when Katherine had least expected her. It wasn't hard to drag the unconscious woman out of the club and into a dark alley._

 _ _"I hope you've enjoyed this lovely day, Katherine." d_ ropping the vampire on the ground, Elena glared at her and looked at the sight in front of her. She grabbed Katherine again and began dragging her into the dark night of New York. "It'll be your last."_

"Elena! Are you even listening to me go on and on with my murder list?" Katherine's annoyed words brought Elena back to reality.

"Sorry, sorry!" she apologized quickly and looked blankly at Katherine. "You were saying?

"Nevermind..." Katherine muttered to herself and stood up. "This place is creeping me out. Enough hospitals already! Too much death, even for me! Let's get out of here. Wanna go get some ice cream or something?"

Elena raised her eyebrows, slowly chasing after Katherine, who was already halfway towards the exit. "A minute ago you were sobbing about how you killed literally everyone, and now you wanna go get ice cream?"

"Relax, Lena." the curly-haired girl said casually as soon as they were outside.

"How can I relax when you're changing the subject? We need to talk about this, Kat."

"No, I don't think we do, Elena." Katherine sighed. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Well, that's a shame, because we _are_ going to talk about it, and we're gonna do it now!

"What do you want me to say? I killed Stefan, Damon, and Caroline! Amongst everyone else. I turned Tyler into a werewolf and I called Jenna out so Klaus could kill her! I murdered Jeremy, and-"

"And I get the point!" Elena cut her off. "You've killed a lot of people. But you're not that person anymore. Sure, you're rude and cunning, and a little mean, and bitchy - at times, and sexy... But that's what makes you, you."

"I still killed _them_!" Katherine exclaimed. Damon, Stefan, and Caroline weren't just some randoms she killed on the street. They were people Elena cared about. People she secretly cared about, even though she'd never say it out loud. And now they were back, and she knew they hated her, she just didn't know how much they hated her.

"And I tried to kill you, remember? We all have. Multiple times! You've hurt us, but no one deserves to die without a second chance. This is your second chance. Don't waste it."

"You really think they'll forgive me?" Katherine whispered hopefully.

Elena smiled. "Yes! Eventually... Just give it time." and Katherine's smirk was back on her face. "Well, surely Care Bear won't be able to resist me for too long. Now, how about that ice cream?"

"It's late! Come on, let's go home." Elena yelled and Katherine started laughing.

Elena laughed along and hugged her, which was already normal for them, but if the old Elena saw her do it, she would probably kill her. Katherine leaned into the embrace. She couldn't believe how far they've both come since that fateful night in New York City.

* * *

"So she'll live?" Caroline came down the stairs and walked over to where Damon and Stefan were sitting. "Okay, thanks, Katherine. Bye."

"Why in the hell were you talking to Katherine freakin' Pierce?" Damon made a face that showed how disgusted he was.

"Oh, relax." Caroline snorted. "I was just checking to see if Ella was still breathing."

"How did you manage to exchange new numbers in the middle of all the shooting?" Damon shook his head in disbelief as she sipped himself some bourbon.

"You could've called Elena." Stefan pointed out, accepting the glass of bourbon that his brother had silently offered him.

Caroline exhaled. "I don't know. For some reason, it's easier to talk to Katherine right now, than it is to talk to Elena. I guess it's because she was my best friend, and literally like a sister to me, and now we're both in the same place after so long..."

"The three of us, Katherine and Elena. Who would've thought?" Damon muttered to himself, but both Caroline and Stefan heard him very clearly.

"You have to face her sooner or later, Care. Besides, tomorrow's a new school day." Stefan said. "And I'm sorry for not telling you about her being in town."

"It's fine, really. I get it." Caroline smiled and sat in between her brothers. As soon as her bottom touched the couch, she hissed. Her discomfort didn't go unnoticed by Damon. He smirked subtly. "Aw, poor baby. Maybe next time you'll think twice before you disobey me."

"Ugh, shut up, you." she hissed again, annoyed with his teasing.

"It's like you're two little kids." Stefan laughed.

"Oh, please!" Damon snorted, clearly thinking he's joking. "You guys wouldn't survive without me there to tan your behinds. God knows neither of you can behave to save your lives."

"I don't know, it would be pretty nice to actually be able to sit for a while. Seriously, Damon, this hurts like hell!" Caroline complained. Damon frowned at her. "Then don't get yourself in trouble so much, young lady!"

"It's not like we want to get in trouble, it just happens!" Caroline tried to defend herself. Stefan raised an eyebrow at her. "Speak for yourself. I am perfectly fine staying out of trouble."

"We'll see about that... Okay kids, time for bed. You've got school tomorrow, can't wait to see what Caroline will do next." Damon got up and yelped when he felt Caroline throwing a piece of cloth at him.

"Ouch."

"That's what you get for making fun of me. Night, Stef. Love you." she smiled sweetly and kissed Stefan on the cheek. She got up and walked over to Damon. Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek as well. "Night, Damon. Love you."

"Love you, too!" she heard them both say behind her. The Salvatores weren't always _that_ sweet with each other. They were never _that_ sweet with each other. Usually, it was just bickering and bourbon. But Damon had grown to love Caroline, and Stefan had grown to love her even more than he did before, and Caroline loved them both like her own brothers. They were her brother. And somehow, Damon and Stefan had grown to love each other again. Even though they never even stopped. Not that either of them would ever admit it. They thought that their bond was once broken, but it was, and always will be, unbreakable. Just like their bond with Caroline. And hopefully, the bond between Katherine and Elena. Stefan, Damon, and Caroline didn't say those three words often, and they probably didn't say them enough. But they knew they loved each other. Deep inside their hearts, they knew. And after a day like the one that they had just survived, they needed each other. More than ever.

Smiling, Caroline walked up to her room and carefully laid on her bed, without putting too much pressure on her aching bottom. She closed her eyes and hoped that tomorrow would be a better day.


End file.
